Worried about cholesterol? Stock up on oats

Eating more plant based foods such as oats rather than cutting out butter and cream cakes from our diets could be the key to keeping cholesterol levels down

According to research, a bowl of oats a day could keep the doctor away, as a new study has revealed that eating more nuts and oats could be the best way to reduce cholesterol levels.

The study, carried out by Canadian researchers, recruited people with high level of LDL cholesterol and put them on a diet that included tofu, soya milk, soy-based meat substitutes, oats and nuts. After six months results showed that the LDL cholesterol levels for participants dropped by an average of 13 percent.

And the good news doesn’t stop there. This 13 percent drop in cholesterol levels led to a reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes over the next 10 years by 11 percent.

'Each one of these ingredients will help you, but when they all work together, you'll get the strongest results,' says study author Peter Jones.

The research proves that a balanced diet could be the best way to stay healthy especially in terms of cholesterol. Scientists found that cholesterol levels dropped most significantly when participants increased the amounts of nuts and oats they ate, rather than just cutting fatty foods out of their diet.

'Life is about balance. You can always misbehave and get away with it—if a steak sandwich looks good, go ahead,' say researchers.

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